Mishkan
The portable tabernacle.
Chesed
Kindness
aleph-bet
The Hebrew alphabet
Seder plate
A plate that holds ritual foods used throughout the Pesach (Passover) seder. Each item on a seder plate is a symbol of the Exodus story and helps participants at the seder retell the story each year.
S’firat HaOmer
"Counting of the omer;" An omer is a biblical measurement of grain. The counting of the omer is 49-day period that begins on the second night of Passover during which each day is counted with a blessing. On the 50th day, the Festival of Shavuot is observed.
Tikkun Leil Shavuot
A celebration specific to the holiday of Shavuot, it includes a late-night – or even all-night – study of Torah and Jewish texts that commemorates receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai.
Shalosh R’galim
“Three Pilgrimages.” The three Pilgrimage Festivals in biblical times: Pesach (Passover), Shavuot, and Sukkot.
Yachatz
“breaking.” A step of the Pesach (Passover) seder when a whole piece of matzah is broken in half. The larger half is set aside as the afikoman. Often younger participants are involved in a game of “find the afikoman.”
Z’man Matan Torateinu
Literally, “the time of the giving of our Torah.” This refers to the holiday of Shavuot.
Z’roa
Literally, “bone.” It is customary to place a shank bone on the seder plate as a reminder of the Passover sacrifice in Temple times.